Saturday, May 21, 2005

Schapelle Corby introduction

Where to begin? I only have about ten minutes to write this post, so excuse it's its initial lack of content. I may update later, but not that likely, really.

For those who don't know, Schapelle Corby is an Australian tourist who was arrested in Bali sometime last year with 4.1 kilograms of marijuana stuffed into her boogie-board bag. She claims she didn't put it there. Even the prosecution has recommended life imprisonment rather than the death sentence she could receive, but it's up to the judges who will decide sometime next week. If you didn't get that, the trial and everything is taking place in Indonesia, and she's been in an Indonesian jail the whole time. I realise any Australian reading this will know that, but just to inform the uninformed.

Recently some Qantas baggage handlers were found to have been operating a drug smuggling operation using luggage. Their arrest (if it was that, I'm not too sure off the top of my head) was for cocaine smuggling, and happened on the same day as Schapelle Corby's flight. Fairly strong circumstantial evidence to support her claim that she did not put the stuff in her bag.

Alright, now that you have a brief background, I've taken up my ten minutes to write this, and have to go play soccer.

The point that I want to get into is how the media has handled this, PARTICULARLY in the week, and weekend (Australian), leading up to the final decision by the Indonesian judges. I think it's ethically wrong because the way it's being covered is I think entirely sales-driven, when what they're doing could have a direct impact on this person's life.

Okay, some quick links. Hopefully I'll be able to expand that last paragraph if I have time, because that's what I want to critique, media coverage.